• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.161-165
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• 2016

Background: Despite the declining trend of workplace accidents in Republic of Korea, its level is still quite high compared with that in other developed countries. Factors that are responsible for high workplace accidents have not been well documented in Republic of Korea. The main purpose of this paper is to estimate the effects of unions and health and safety committees on workplace accidents in Korean manufacturing firms. We also allow for the interactions between unions and health and safety committees in the analysis. The results obtained in this paper will not only contribute to the literature in this field, but might also be useful for employers and worker representatives who are trying to find an effective way to reduce workplace accidents. Methods: This paper utilizes the 2012 Occupational Safety and Health Trend Survey data, which is a unique data set providing information on workplace injuries and illness as well as other characteristics of participatory firms, representative of the manufacturing industry in Republic of Korea. Results: In estimating the effects of unions and health and safety committees, we build a negative binomial regression model in which the interactions between unions and health and safety committees are permissible in reducing workplace accidents. Conclusion: Health and safety committees were found to reduce the incidence of accidents whereas unionized establishments have higher incidence of accidents than nonunionized establishments. We also found that health and safety committees can more effectively reduce accidents in nonunionized establishments. By contrast, nonexclusive joint committees can more effectively reduce accidents in unionized establishments.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.299-317
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• 2010

The study was conducted in two phase. In phase I, workplace safety accidents were investigated that happened from 2004 to 2008 in 52 medium-sized contract managed foodservice companies located in Seoul. In phase II, a survey was conducted to examine the cuisine employees' awareness of workplace safety. The survey was administered to the same foodservice management companies from April 12 to April 20, 2009. The final response rate was 84% (N=336), and the data were analyzed using SPSS Windows (ver. 12.0). The analysis showed that more accidents occurred in the age groups of 51~60 and 41~50 and among women. Forty-four percents of the accidents were reported by the employees who had been engaged in foodservice for 1~4 years. The majority of the safety accidents occurred in May~June of the year and the injuries were related to the 'hands and arms'. Approximately 38.5% of the injuries happened during 'movement and transportation'. More than half of the accidents were not managed as 'industrial accidents'. By type of injuries, 28.6% of the accidents were 'fractures'. In terms of the companies' actions, 44% of the accidents were dealt by companies' paying medical bills. The results of this study could be useful to develop evaluation indicators for safety education programs, decrease cuisine employees' safety accidents, protect assets, and prevent various worker and industrial accidents to create a pleasant work environment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.9-15
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• 2022

The analysis of the causes of accidents in workplaces where machines and tools are used is essential to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of safety prevention policies in places of employment in Korea. The causes of workplace accidents are not fully understood mainly due to difficulties in analyzing available descriptive information. This study focuses on the automated accident cause analysis in workplaces based on the accident abstracts found in industrial accident reports written in an unstructured descriptive format. The method proposed in this paper is based on text data mining and uses the keyword search function of Excel software to automate the analysis. The analysis results indicate that the primary reason for the frequency of accidents is related to technical aspects at a stage in which dangerous situations occur in the workplace. Accidents due to managerial causes are typically observed when danger exists in the workplace; however, managerial actions play a more important role in reducing accident severity. A small company tends to use unsafe machines and devices, leading to further accidents due to technical causes, whereas managerial causes are more conspicuous as the company grows. To preclude the occurrence of accidents due to inadequate knowledge, the implementation of safety management and the provision of safety education to elderly workers at the early stage of their employment are particularly important for small companies with less than 100 workers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.811-816
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• 2022

Even though continuous management and supervision of reinforcement of policies to safeguard accidents at workplace and work sites were implemented. Accident prevention activities such as inspection and diagnosis are urgently required to induce a preliminary investigation to identify the risk factors for each type of work, before the work task to eliminate risks at the worksites. Since safety inspections at work sites were generally conducted through visual inspections, the results of safety inspections may vary depending on the findings and proficiency of the safety officers. The results of those inspections may have loopholes to prevent potential accidents at work. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a risk identification checklist that can effectively perform safety inspections to prevent accidents at work sites. This study initially analyzed the previously developed accident checklist to identify current complications and issues in safety checklists. Based on the findings of major industrial accidents over the past three years, the relationship between accident, workplace, and work type were analyzed refereeing the safety inspection standards. A risk recognition-checklist was developed to provide basic data on identifying risk factors, and inspection guidance at work sites. To prepare for potential accidents by identifying and taking countermeasures to mitigate the high risk and serious accidents at sites by the guidelines of the checklist. The developed inspection checklist has been practically used by experts at work sites to perform safety inspections, and it has been verified its suitability, and feasibility, to prevent or mitigate workplace accidents, including securing the safety and health of field workers. The role of the developed safety checklist has been considered effective at worksites.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.104-109
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• 2012

Singapore, an island republic of over 5 million inhabitants, has 3.1 million workers. Most are employed in the service, finance and tourist/transport industry. Significant numbers work in manufacturing, construction and heavy industry. Following a series of construction and shipyard accidents with multiple deaths in 2004, the government announced its intention to reduce workplace fatalities from 4.9 to 2.5 per 100,000 by 2015. There was strong political will to achieve this target. The strategic approaches were to build workplace safety and health (WSH) capabilities; implement legislative changes with enforcement; promote benefits of WSH and recognize best practices, and enhance partnership with stakeholders. The anticipated outcomes were to reduce workplace fatality and injury rates; have WSH as an integral part of business; and establish a progressive and pervasive WSH culture. With these measures, the workplace fatality rate declined from 4.9/100,000 in 2004, to 2.2/100,000 in 2010. However, other confounding factors could also account for this decline, and have to be considered. The next target, announced by Singapore's Prime Minister in 2008, is to further reduce the workplace fatality rate to 1.8/100,000 by 2018, and to have "one of the best workplace safety records in the world".

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.765-774
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• 2023

The Ministry of Employment and Labor implemented the process safety management(PSM) system from 1996 to prevent major industrial accidents caused by chemical substances, but the number of accidents did not drastically decrease. Even in workplaces with excellent PSM ratings, large-scale chemical accidents still occur due to non-compliance with safety work procedures and insufficient safety measures during maintenance and other work. Accordingly, the chemical accident risk warning system was introduced in 2014 to supplement the PSM system and prevent accidents that may occur during regular or unexpected maintenance and repair work. In the meantime, changes in the safety management system have been checked since the introduction of the chemical accident risk warning system at chemical handling workplaces, and based on the results, a plan for upgrading this system has been proposed. The effect of the CARW system was found to directly prevent accidents through wired and on-site consulting and post-management at the workplace and indirectly contribute to the establishment of a safety and health management system at the workplace, such as improving safety culture awareness.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.318-331
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• 2010

The objectives of this study were to investigate the status of accidents and to assess hazards in institutional foodservices in the Changwon and Masan areas. A survey was conducted from February 1 to March 31, 2009 using questionnaires, and 142 dietitians participated. The dietitians' perception of accident risks in workplace averaged 3.11 points. Forty-five percent of the respondents responded that accidents had occurred more than once between 2006 and 2008. In addition, 28.2% of the respondents experienced employee absences or turnover due to accidents during Year 2008. 'Musculoskelectal injuries or disorders (65.5%)', 'slips or falls (64.8%)', 'burns (57.7%)', and 'cuts and punctures (48.6%)' were the predominant accidents in foodservice. 'Knives (76 points)', 'steam kettles (41 points)', 'vegetable cutters (34 points)' and 'turn kettles (26 points)' were the equipment with severe accidents, such as burns or cut injuries. Among foodservice processes, 'carpal tunnel syndrome while washing (2.83 points)', 'burned by frying oil (2.64 points)', 'cut by sharp tools (2.55 points)', 'musculoskelectal injury by moving heavy weight food materials (2.41 points)', and 'injury by slipping on wet workplace floors and trenches (2.19 points)' were the most frequently occurring accidents at foodservice sites. To prevent safety accidents, dietitians' perceptions of safety supervision should be improved, and therefore, it is necessary they receive safety education.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.314-321
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• 2020

Background: Occupational accidents occur for a variety of reasons, such as unsafe behaviors of workers and insufficient safety equipment at the workplace, but there are also various economic and social factors that can impact working conditions and working environment. This study analyzed the relationship between changes in economic factors and the occurrence of occupational accidents in Korea. Methods: Multilinear regression analysis was used as the analysis model. The general to specific method was also used, which consecutively removes statistically insignificant variables from a general model that includes dependent variables and lagged variables of dependent variables. Results: The frequency of occupational accidents was found to have a statistically significant relationship to economic indicators. The monthly number of cases of occupational injury and disease and fatal occupational injuries were found to be closely related to manufacturing capacity utilization, differences in the production index in the services sector, and commencements of building construction. The increase in equipment investment indicators was found to reduce fatal occupational injuries. Conclusion: The results of this study may be used to develop occupational accident trends or leading indicators, which in turn can be used by organizations that manage and monitor occupational accidents toward taking administrative action designed to reduce occupational accidents. The results also imply that short-term and mid- to long-term economic and social changes that can impact workers, workplaces and working conditions, and workplace organizations must be taken into account if more effective government policies are to be established and implemented toward further prevention of occupational accidents.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.497-502
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• 2017

Estimation of accident cost is a sound and great safety indicator on determining accurate occupational safety and health prevention. Just like in Korea, Heinrich ratio analysis of (1:4) between direct and indirect costs has been become widely used in safety management because of its simplicity. In this study four major categories of uninsured (indirect) cost items and 18 sub-categories of uninsured (indirect) cost items were identified. To determine and validate the importance and necessity of the results of a literature review an expert or professional surveyed had been analyses using the SPSS 18.0, where in the participants whose expertize is in the field of compensation and safety. Based on the results of survey all participants all uninsured (indirect) cost items classified was important and necessary when accidents occurred. Despite recognition of expert on the classification of uninsured (indirect) cost items, it is quite difficult to make generalization for all kind of costs in occupational accident case due to different nature of business for each industry.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.35-43
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• 2023

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of occupational accidents involving foreign workers. As the number of foreign workers continues to increase, the risk of occupational accidents is also on the rise. Therefore, it is crucial to take proactive measures to prevent occupational accidents among foreign workers. To establish a common safety culture among foreign workers with varied backgrounds and educational experiences, and which is harmonized with Korean workplace. Safety communication, which includes culture respect and participation in the workplace, plays a significant role in shaping and developing the safety culture of foreign workers. Therefore, this study aims to assess the level of safety culture in workplace employing foreign workers by analyzing the reliability and validity of factors such as 'occupational accident awareness' and 'safety communication,' which constitute the safety culture at these workplace. Additionally, the mediating effect of 'work proficiency' on the relationship between 'safety communication' and the level of improvement in 'occupational accident awareness' using the validation method proposed by Baron & Kenny(1986). As a result of statistical analysis, The influence of'safety communication'on'occupational accident awareness'is 𝛽=0.339, and it has been found that this influence decreases to 𝛽=0.113 when'work proficiency'is introduced, indicating partial mediation.